Georges St-Pierre vs. Rory MacDonald? Dana White thinks it might be just around the corner

To a man, they both have said no way repeatedly. On Wednesday, MacDonald told MMAjunkie.com just that – he won’t fight his friend and mentor for St-Pierre’s UFC welterweight title should it ever come to that.

But UFC President Dana White believes something different – and he believes that something different could be right around the corner.

A win for St-Pierre and a win for MacDonald, both favored in the fight, would no doubt push interest in the two meeting. (Upsets by Hendricks or Lawler, or both, of course, and all bets are off the table.)

Calling himself “Nostra-Dana” in reference to the famed 16th century French seer Nostradamus, White on Thursday said a win for MacDonald on Saturday, putting him essentially next in line for a title shot, could force a split for him from St-Pierre’s Tristar Gym team in Montreal – should “GSP” also retain his belt.

“I think if he beats Robbie Lawler, he’s going to move out of Georges’ (gym) and I think things are going to change,” White said after Thursday’s UFC 167 pre-fight news conference. “I think this is the fight, right here for him, that’s going to put him in the direction of fighting Georges St-Pierre. I think if he wins this fight, he’s moving out – he’s going to get his own place.”

If that scenario were to come to pass, as White is predicting, it wouldn’t be the first time in recent memory for a friend and teammate to fight a mentor. At UFC 145, Jon Jones defended his title against former friend and training partner Rashad Evans – and things were quite heated leading up to the bout.

But White told MMAjunkie.com he doesn’t see any potential St-Pierre vs. MacDonald pairing playing out that same way.

“I don’t think it will because I honestly believe I know Georges St-Pierre. I know what a professional he is,” White said. “When has Georges St-Pierre ever not fought someone who deserved to be next? When has Georges St-Pierre ever done that? Georges St-Pierre has never been one of those champions who says, ‘I don’t think this guy should be fighting me, this guy doesn’t deserve to be here.’ He’s like, ‘Who’s next? You think this is the guy that’s next? Then that’s the guy I’ll beat.’ That’s the way Georges St-Pierre has handled his career.

“And when that time comes for Rory, you know he’s going to give him that opportunity. And you f—ing know Rory wants it. You know he wants it.”

Both fighters on Wednesday, as well as Thursday, insisted their focus is squarely on the fights in front of them – and not on how things might play out if they’re asked to fight.